Envelope opener



Oct. 7, 1947. W EGOUGHNOU 2,428,490

ENVELOPE' OPENER Filed Sept. 26, 1944 IN V EN TOR.

Wm rf@ 8, Gauw/Name Patented Oct. 7, 1947 UNITED PATENT o Fries NvELoPE OPENER walt if; Ldeirgimoul", seattle, Wash. Applieatiepeceib 26, 1944, serial No. 569,772

This invention; relates to envelopeopening de. vices, and-it hasreferencemoreparticularly to devices for openingfsealed envelopes of those kinds generally used "for the f mailing; of letters, cards l and -thelilge; itx beingthe Aprincipal object Of. lSlS iYlVeYllJiQYLlOfDOVle aliCUVClI-)De ODEB- ing device Vthatis simplein 'constructiom conf venient to use, easy to operate and whereby avery narrow strip maybe cut-from the edge of an envelope'properly applied thereto, to completely open it alonsthatedee, and Without. @time .or damaging any paper vor `card contained in the envelope.

More, Specifically. stated. .the .Qbiect f' this, .in-1 Veniols lo. D'IOYQ@ .31.1. @BVG-10D? ODClindeV? that may beheld and operated by one hand; and @Omprsng .a housing, or .casewntainirie a stationary shear blade andamovable shear blade, andhaving aslot in a wall thereof designed to receive the edge portion of anenvelope that is to be opened, in a manner for locating that edge between the blades; v therealso beingmeans associated with the blades for accurately positioning thezedge .0f the enVeIQDC. llrebtween S0. 17h34@ uponactuation of thel movable shear blade to. effect the cutting'voperationthe edge; portion of` the envelope -Willbe cut V 01T to the limitedextent that is necessary for insuring safety to the contents of'tlfieenvelope.` It is alsovan objectof this invention to provide a device of the above stated character that isl designed to be convenientlyy held in one hand and to be atua'ted'bythat lhand ivhn the .other hand is free for the applying andv removing oftheenvelopes therefrom.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide coacting-j shearing blades `of an improved design whereby any tendency to cut angularly across the edge of the' envelope'or to cause the cut to run out of the envelope is overcome;v

Still further objects of the invention reside in the details of construction lo f parts, in their combination and mode of operation, as will herein--v after be fullyv described.

In accomplishing the' foregoing and other'bjects of the" invention; I have providedfthe iinproved details ofv construction," the preferred formsy of Awhich are illustrated in the' accom; panying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a perspective View illustrating the form and use of an envelope opening device embodied by the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side View of the device with a part of the case or housing broken away for better illustration of parts contained therein.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section,- taken Online 3-#3 in Fig. 2, particularly illustrating there'lati'n-J ship of the blades'.

Fig. 4 is a'n elevation 'ofthe blade assembly of the device removed' from thehous'in'g.

' Referring' more in 'detail to' the drawings- In its present preferredfforrn, the device comprises a' housing 'or case' of a s'iz'e'and shape'convenient vto' be held inone'hand,`as shownin Fig. v1'. This l'lou'sirlg 's made up 0f (BOI'npleinellti]50131210--` site side sections I? and 'la forming, whenassemf bled, 'a substantiallyreetangular hollow case having a somewhatI enlarged tubular lower' edge por tion 2" asfshown" bestinjFigQB; The'two opposite' side` sections of the case have thei'redge portions fitted together in a close joint, as at 3in Figgl; and the parts are held'tog'ether by a plurality of screws 4 applied through their'end portions as understood by reference to Fig. 1.

By reference to `Fig. 3, it will Ybe understood that the 4upper portion of the case ishollow and' that its hollowspace'opens into a chamber'la inA the tubular portion 3 across its loweredge, Alsog there 4is alongitudinal slot` 6 along thetop'edge of the rc'asefor the passage of the'movabley cutter blade as will presently be unclferstood.` Withinjthe housing, or case that'is formed byA parigi and la .therein C0'ritained-iheiblade asf. sembly unitincluding` the1 bladeswhereby the edgeef-an'env1ope mavybetutjcr. to one'n the. envelope. The.jlziladeassembly unit 'will' be best" understoodby refereneeto 'Figs'. 3, l and 5',

secured to the ccu a tions of the back plate and the 1egs lla-l o 'at enr-"- respoiding ends of theA blade.'

The momie ma@ ls is diipsu flatly senta* the banfisthe 'shear- 'Y full width of the blade and this is designed to coact with the shearing edge of the stationary blade.

Disposed along one fac-e of the movable-blade, is a leaf spring 20 which, at a medial point, engages against the under side of a lug 2| applied to that face of the movable blade. At its ends, the spring engages against the top ends of the legs lill as shown in Fig. 4. Normally this leaf spring operates to support the movable blade in a raised position at which its cutting edge is above the edge of the lower blade and the edge of 'an envelope may be received between the cutting edges of the two blades. yields when pressure is applied downwardly on the movable blade to eiect an envelope opening Y operation.

The spring 20 however The blade assembly unit as above described is edge of the stationary blade, as will be understood by reference to Fig. 3, so that upon the application of an end of an envelope -throughr thegslot, as illustrated in Fig. v1, it will pass between Ythe shearing edges of the blades and will engage against the back plateto thereby accurately position it relative to the blade edges for the cutting operation. Y

Assuming the parts to be constructed and assembled as described, the use of the device of Fig. 1 is substantially as follows:

The operator holds the device in the palm of one hand with the ngers of that hand underlying the tubular portion of the housing and the thumb overlying the top edge bar of the movable blade. The envelope, held by the other hand, is then applied through the slot 30 and its edge brought iiatly against the back plate`8 of the blade assembly. The operator then depresses the movable blade downwardly and eects the shearing off of the inner end portion of the envelope.

The spacing of the back plate from the cutting edge ofY the stationaryrblade is accurately determined and is of such distance that the edge portion of the envelope removed will just open the envelope, but without endangering its contents. The .shearingis effected by the engaging of the ends of the V-shapedl blade edge I8 with the envelope and cuttingV toward the intermediate point. The portion of the envelope which is thereby cut off is moved downwardly through the openspace between blades and deposited in the hollow tubular chamber 3a of the case. These strips of vpaper may be removed from the case upon the removal of a cap 35 that is applied to an end of the tubular chamber left open for that purpose.

As soon as handpressure is'removed from the movable blade, the leaf spring operates to lift it back to its initial position, ready for another operation,

Devices of this character are quick and efec,

tive in use, relatively simple in construction, and relatively inexpensive.

Housings may be made of metal, plastic or other suitable material.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: y

1. An envelope opener of the character described comprising a hollow housing adapted to be held in the hand and formed in one side wall with a longitudinal slot for the reception of the edge portion of an envelope therethrough and having a chamber in the base portion thereofto receive clippings from the blades, a blade mounting frame secured in the housing, a shear blade xed in said frame and extending along said slot to receive the edge of an inserted envelope thereacross, a complemental shear plate having guided movement in said frame from and into shearing contact with the i'lxed blade, a spring acting against the movable plate to normally hold it at its open position; said movable plate having a part thereof extended from the housing for the actuation of the plate While the opener is held in the hand.

2. An envelope opener of the character described comprising ahollow housing adapted to be held in the hand and comprising opposite side portions, one of which is formed with a longitudinal slot for the reception of the edge portion of the envelope therethrough, and there being a slot along the top edge of the housing, and a chamber along the lower portion to receive clippings from the blades, a blade mounting frame clamped between the opposite side portions of the housing and comprising a base Vbar forming a blade that is disposed along said longitudinal slot and across which the edge of 'and inserted envelope will be located; said frame comprising opposite end members serving as guides and a shear plate mounted between said guides for movement from and into shearing vcontact with the first mentioned blade andr extending from the top edge of the housing through saidslot therein for the actuation ofthe blade, and a spring held in said frame and engaging said shear plate to move it to its opposite position; and a back plateki'lxed in said frame and against which the edge of an inserted envelope will be ,engaged to determine the location of the cut along the edge of the envelope. v y

WALTER B. GOUGHNOUR..

, REFERENCES'CHED The following references 4are of record in the leof this patent: f Y y UNITED STATES PATENTS McKenzie n 1 Dec. 11, 1917 

